How to survive the Distortion festival

Summer is a fantastic time to visit the Danish capital of Denmark. This is a city defined by light and water, and the warmth of the sun really brings this city alive. If you’re planning your visit, and you like music and dancing, then try and time your trip with the annual Distortion dance music festival.

When to go

This is an annual festival that attracts huge crowds. In 2018 the event will run from Wednesday 30 May until Sunday 3 June.

It’s the perfect way to kick off your summer celebrations.

The evolution of Distortion

This history of the Distortion dance music festival can be traced back to September 1998 when a club night was first held in the club Mantra – in the Tivoli Pleasure Gardens in central Copenhagen. By the year 2000, that club night had evolved into a five day mobile festival that was called Distortion.

In the early days, the five-day Distortion party was fairly chaotic and not strictly legal. The organizers didn’t really bother with getting the required permits or approvals, it was seen as a cool, underground event that was small enough to stay under the radar of the authorities.

However, by 2007, the street parties of Distortion had become so popular and so well-attended, that the Copenhagen City Council and the police stepped in to work with the organizers to help ensure the safety of everyone involved.

Distortion has now become one of the biggest events of its kind in Europe, with around 100,000 people attending each day of the festival.

How to get involved

One of the things that makes the Distortion dance music festival a bit unique is that it effectively takes over the entire city. The organizers describe it as a rolling tsunami of a festival, each day the street party moves to a different neighborhood in Copenhagen.

The action kicks off with street parties in the Nørrebro and Vesterbro districts – it almost feels as if each street is having their own party, with everyone outside, enjoying the music, the sunshine, and happily drinking and dancing.

Over the subsequent days, the parties evolve and move to different parts of the city, with some major club nights and concerts also included, and a big finish at a huge sound station in an industrial estate on Copenhagen harbor.

Where to stay

There’s a huge range of accommodation options and holiday apartments in Copenhagen, whether you are looking for a high-end hotel, a family-style apartment, or possibly a private rental home-stay. The important this is that you want to be somewhere fairly central. While Copenhagen’s public transport system is very efficient and easy to use, if you’re planning to be hanging out in the street parties of Nørrebro and Vesterbro then there’s nothing better than being able to walk home at the end of the night.

Why not try camping?

Like any great music festival, a number of people attending will save money by camping. There is a designated Distortion camping ground that can be included in your ticket package if you fancy packing your tent for your visit to Copenhagen.